Feed-water heater



(No Model.)

A. M. ROWE.

FEED WATER HEATER.

No. 468,181. Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED M. ROIVE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS' FEED-WATER HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,181, dated February 2, 1892.

Application filed October 23, 1890. Renewed July 6, 1891. Serial No. 398,467. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. ROWE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invent-ed a certain new and useful Improvement in Feed-Vaterlleaters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of feedwater heaters shown and described in Patent No. 359,634, granted to myself March 22, 1887.

In addition to the objects of the improvement set forth in my said patent, the objects of this improvement are to provide a scumchamber, by means of which the scum and light particles that rise to the top of the water-chamber can be effectively removed; to provide a settling-chamber having an increased capacity for permitting the collection of sediment from the feed-water without obstructing the inlet and without necessitating the objectionable feature of blowing off the sediment; to provide a heater having a series of pipes, through which the water can circulate, and which present a maximum amount of surface, which is subject to the heating action of the exhaust-steam, whereby the greatest amount of water can be heated to a appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view of a feed-water heater constructed in accordance with my invention, and is partly in central vertical sect-ion and in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The steam-chamber A, which is formed within a suitable shell or casing A, is provided at its side and at its lower end with a steam-inlet A The exhaust or discharge outlet A is arranged at the side of the casing above the inlet A and conveniently diametrically opposite thereto.

The system of return water-pipes, herein shown as contained within the steamchamher, is as follows: An ordinary water-conducting pipe Z), which in practice is connected with a suitable source of water-supply, enters the steam-chamber at the upper portion of the latter, and shortly after its entrance into said chamber is expanded to provide or is connected with a pipe or chamber B, which extends downwardly through the steam-chamber, and which maybe regarded as an enlarged water-supply pipe or water-supply chamber. The water-supply pipe or chamber B is by preference arranged centrally within the steam-chamber, in order that the water therefrom may be more conveniently distributed to one or more series of return Water-pipes, which are in communication with the lower portion of the supply pipe or chamber B and which stand around the same. The said return water-pipes, which thus communicate at their lower ends with the supply pipe or chamber 13, rise from the lower portion of the steam-chamber and are at their upper ends placed in communication with a discharge-pipe C, which is common to all of said return-pipes and which serves as a means for feeding the heated water to a boiler.

As a means for placing the water-supply pipe or chamber B in communication with return water-pipes, said supply pipe or chamber is at its lower end connected with a wator-chamber D, with which latter the upwardly extending return pipes are connected. This chamber 1) not only serves as an efficient means for supplying the said upwardly extending return-pipes, but being arranged at the base of said apparatus it also provides a desirable settling-chamber, having a capacity which permits the accumulation of considerable sediment without rendering it nec essary to frequently blow off the sediment which has accumulated therein. In order to promote the efiiciency of chamber D for the last-named purpose, it is provided with asuitable hand-hold plate D or the like, whereby access may be had to it when so desired. In order to place the said return water-pipes in communication with the discharge-pipe 0, all

ranged around the water-supply pipe or chamber 13, so as to constitute three sets, the

i es F F F com osin said sets, bein p p b b either arranged to form annular concentric series, as in Fig. 2, or irregularly distributed, as may be desired.

The steam-chamber A is separated from the lower water-chamber D by means of a circular partition or diaphragm A which rest'sat its outer edge'upon an annular flan go a, which extends inwardly from the casingA The' and "is located just below the inlet A said'diaphragm A is provided centrallywith an aperture for the supply pipe or chamberl and with sets of apertures for the return water-pipes F F F, whereby all of said waterpipes communicate with the Water-chamber D. The outer set of pipes F of said annular series are separated from the two sets F and F, which are located nearest the supply pipe or chamber B by an inner cylindric shell or casing A extending from a point near the' upper ends of said pipes to a point horizontally between the inlet and outlet passages A and A and located between the sets of pipes F and F In this way an annular chamber a, extending nearly the height of 'thesteam-chamber, is formed between the inner wall of the steam-chamber and the inner shell or casing A in which chamber a the pipes F are located. The main steam-chamberA is by this arrangement divided for the greater portion of its length into two communicating chambers a and 0. the latter being the larger of the two and containing two sets of pipes F and F and being directly connected with the source of steam-supply. The inner shell or casing A is secured upon an inwardly-projecting annular flange A which is located horizontally between the inlet and outlet passages A and A and extends inwardly from the casingA to a point between the sets of pipes F and F, the pipes F 'passing through apertures in said flange and having steam-tight connections therewith.

Inthe particular construction illustrated the casing A embraces an upper section a and a lower section a, which are riveted to-. getherin a familiar manner, while a fiat ring forming the flange A is held between the adjacent ends of said upper and lower sections a and a v The upper water-chamber E is provided with an upwardly-extending portion E, forming-a scum charnber, and in the construction illustrated said scum-chamber embraces an approximately semi-spherical cap extending above said water-chamber A blow-oft pipe e leads from the upper portion of said scum.- ohamber; It will be obvious that any scum and light particles that may rise to the top of the water-chamber E will be collected in the scum-chamber E, and to prevent any of such matter passing out through the water-discharge pipe C the latter extends some distance downwardly into the water-chamber E, so that its intaking end will be below the level whereat the scum accumulates.

Steam entering through the inlet A is first received within the larger subdivision a of the steam-chamber, in which said subdivision the steam circulates upward and around the pipes F and F exposed therein, and from thence a portion of it passes through the 'space or passage 6, formed by the annular chamber E, so as to reach the upper portion of the steam-chamber, from whenceit passes downwardly through the annular chamber or annular subdivision a of the steam-chamber A to the exhaust-outlet A The steam that does not pass out through the passage 6 passes over the top of the inner shell or casing, and then down through the annularsubdivision a to the said exhaust-outlet A By the foregoing arrangement the steam is equally distributed over the surface ofa'llof thewater-pipes, and since it circulates first from-one end of the heater to the other and of the steam-chamber the full value of the steam is utilized.

It will be observed that by the arrangement of return water-pipes I obtain a=circulation of water from one end of the heater to the other, and then back to the end 0'1": the heater at which it first entered, thereby insuring its becoming properly heated. It'will also be seen that the feed-water is not in contact with the outer shell of the heater, as in cases where the water-chamber is formed by said shell and steam-pipessubmergingin the water, and hence by myarrangemeut there is no liability of the feed-water becoming'cool by contact; with the said shell or casing. The large chamber or subdivision a of the'steamchamber permits the expansion ofthe exhaust steam which enters through inlet A whereby there is an absolute freedom from backpressure.

It is observed that a water-inlet pipe b,'the blow-off pipe e, and the pipe 0, which is to be connected with a boiler and which will usually have a satetyvalve, all extend up through suitable stuffing-boxes at the top of the steam-chamber, in'which Way the pipes or tubes confined within the steam-chamber will not, by reason of longitudinal expansion or contraction, work loose at theirpoint of connection with the top ohamberD, that formsa bottoinfor the subdivisions of the steamchamber, it being obvious that the pipes can be fitted so as to be susceptible of a desirable then back to a point-adjacent to the inlet end latitude of end movement through their respective stuffing-boxes.

A indicates a pipe provided with a stopcock and communicating with the lower end of the steam-chamber A, by means of which any Water due to the condensation of the steam may be drawn 0%.

A indicates a blow-oft pipe communicating with the settling-chamber.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. A feed-water heater comprising the inner and outer steam-chambers, a water-supply pipe or chamber passing through said inner steam-chamber and communicating with awater-ohamber located below said steam-chambers, a series of water-pipes located within said steam-chamber and communicating with said water-chamber, and an exhaust inlet and outlet located above said water-chamber.

2. A feed-water heater comprising an outer casing A, an inner casing A an annular flange A, extending inwardly from said outer casing and joined to said inner casing, whereby the inner and outer steam-chambers are formed which communicate at their upper ends, a series of water-pipes arranged within said steam-chambers, an exhaust-inlet communicating with said inner steam-chamber below said partition, and an exhaust-outlet communicating with the lower portion of said outer steam-chamber.

3. A feed-water heater comprising an outer casing A,a diaphragm near the lower end thereof for providing a water-chamber D,an inwardly-projecting flange located upon said outer casing above said diaphragm, an inner casing joined at its lower end to said flange and extending nearly to the top of said outer casing, a water-supply pipe or chamber passing through said inner casing and communieating with the water-chamber, a series of water-pipes arranged within said outer and inner casing and communicating with said water-chamber, an exhaust-inlet connected with the outer casing between said diaphragm and flange, and an exhaust outlet connected with said outer casing above said flange.

4. In a feed-water heater,a series of waterpipes communicating at their upper ends with a waterchamber having an upwardlyextending portion forming a scum-chamber, and a blow-off pipe.

5. In a feed-water heater, aseries of water pipes com municating at their upper ends with a waterchamber having an upwardly-extending portion forming a scum-chamber, a blow-oft pipe, and a water-discharge pipe communicating with said water ohamber and extending downwardly into the same.

ALFRED M. ROWE. Vitnesses:

A. M. ROWE, H. G. KENNEDY. 

